VEHICLE VEHICLE COMPONENT AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A VEHICLE COMPONENT FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general to the field of components such as panels or other structures for use in vehicles (for example automobiles such as cars, trucks, and similar, airplanes, boats, etc.). More specifically, the present invention relates to methods for manufacturing interior panels or structures for vehicles or other applications. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The interior components of vehicles such as panels (e.g., instrument panels, door panels, etc.) conventionally include a substrate made of a relatively rigid material and an outer surface or liner. The external surface or lining is sometimes referred to as "roof deck material". For example, the surface of a door panel facing or facing the passenger compartment (sometimes referred to as the "A" surface of the panel) may include a fabric, leather, polymer, or other type of material provided thereon. . Such surface material can be provided in any of a wide variety of colors, textures, and / or designs.
In certain applications (e.g., door panel applications), it may be desirable to have an extension in the form of a ridge or projection to allow engagement of the component with other components of the vehicle. For example, it may be desirable to mold a flange as part of a door panel along an upper portion thereof to allow the upper portion of the door panel to engage a feature provided in a door assembly. In this way, the inner door panel can be coupled relatively securely to the door assembly. In conventional applications, the flange or protrusion is formed in an operation subsequent to the molding of the component. That is, a component is made (for example, by injection molding) after which a flange is adhered to the component in a secondary operation, or for example, by cutting and folding a portion of the component to form the flange. There is a need to provide a method for manufacturing or producing components such as panels or other structures for use in vehicles, which include one or more extensions in the form of ridges or projections. There is also a need to provide a method for manufacturing or producing such components in a relatively fast and efficient manner. There is also a need to provide a method for manufacturing or producing such components in such a way that the extension includes a cover sheet material thereon, such that the extension is covered by the cover sheet material on the surface "A" of the cover. The component and the substrate forming the rim is not visible to passengers in a passenger compartment or through a window adjacent to the rim. It would be desirable to provide a method for manufacturing or producing a vehicle component that includes one or more of these or other advantageous features. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method for forming a component for a vehicle. The method includes providing a roll forming material in a mold having a first section of the mold, a second section of the mold, and a third section of the mold, and moving the first section of the mold and the third section of the mold towards the second section of the mold. The third section of the mold moves in a direction substantially transverse to the movement of the first mold section such that the third section of the mold engages and directs an end portion of the deck profile material to fold it inward toward a first surface of the roof profile material. The method also includes forming a substrate by injecting a resin into the mold adjacent to the first surface of the deck profile material. A molded extension comprising the substrate and the end portion of the roof profile material is formed. Another exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a trim panel or finish for use in a vehicle. The trim or trim panel includes a one-piece molded member having a body portion and an extension. The extension is provided in a periphery of the body portion to secure the trim panel or finish to the vehicle. The extension is formed of a profiled roofing material and a substrate. The body portion and extension are formed during the same molding operation where the profiled roofing material is placed in a mold, the mold is reconfigured to bend inwardly and an edge of the deck profile material, and a resin is injected into the mold to form the substrate. Another exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method for forming a component for a vehicle. The method includes forming a substrate by injecting a resin into a mold having a first section of the mold and a second section of the mold. The substrate has an extension in an extended position. The method further includes providing a boundary between the extension and a body portion of the substrate, to assist in moving the extension between the extended position and the retracted position, subjecting the substrate to localized heating and bending the extension around the boundary until it is reaches the retracted position. The extension provides a mechanism to secure the component to the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a plan view of a front surface of a vehicle component in the form of an interior door panel according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 is a plan view of a rear surface of the vehicle component shown in Figure 1 according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2a is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the vehicle component shown in Figure 2, taken through line 2a-2a at the location of an extension according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of an injection molding system shown in an open position according to an exemplary embodiment.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the injection molding system of Figure 3 shown in an intermediate position according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the injection molding system of Figure 3 shown in a closed position according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a vehicle component in the form of an interior door panel according to another exemplary embodiment. Figure 6a is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the vehicle component shown in Figure 6, taken through line 6a-6a at the location of an extension according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the vehicle component shown in Figure 6, showing the extension in a second position in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown respectively a front portion and a rear portion of a component 100 for use in an interior of a vehicle. The component 100 includes a substrate 102 having a material 104 (e.g., a deck profiled material) applied thereto.
With reference to Figure 1 in particular, the material 194 covers at least a portion of a front surface or "A" of the component 100 and can be selected from any of a variety of materials, including cloth, leather, a polymeric material (eg example, vinyl), or a variety of other materials. The component 100 may also use more than one different type of material on the front surface thereof. It is intended that the material 104 be provided facing the passenger compartment, and therefore may include any number of designs or patterns provided therein by improved aesthetic appeal. The material 104 is shown as including two separate types of deck profiled materials provided thereon (shown as a first portion 106 and a second unit portion 108 of racks). According to several alternative embodiments, the material 104 may include any number of roofing profiled materials (eg, one, three, etc.). With reference to Figure 2 in particular, the substrate 102 is formed of a relatively rigid material such as a relatively rigid plastic material, a metal, or any other rigid material conventionally used to form substrates for interior components of vehicles. For example, the substrate 102 can be made of polypropylene or a thermoplastic olefin according to an exemplary embodiment. According to other exemplary embodiments, the substrate 102 can be made of an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymer (ABS) or a polycarbonate / acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymer (PC / ABS). Any of a variety of other materials may also be used to form the substrate 102. As illustrated in Figures 2 and 2a, the component 100 includes an extension or protrusion 110 in the form of a flange or projection, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. . The extension is sometimes referred to as a "turn-down" flange. As shown in Figures 2 and 2a, extension 110 includes both a portion of substrate 102 and material 104. The extension is intended to act as a mechanism for securing the component 102 with other components of the vehicle For example, the extension 110 may be used to couple a portion of a door assembly (for example, the extension 110 may attach a feature (not shown) provided on a sheet portion steel of a door assembly, etc.) In conventional vehicle applications, a portion of the extension 110 may be visible from the interior of the passenger compartment of the vehicle by providing an extension 110 that includes the material 104 provided in the vehicle. the same, substrate 102 is not visible to passengers sitting next to component 100 in a vehicle. Figures 3-5 illustrate the formation of a vehicle component similar to that shown in Figure 1 according to an exemplary embodiment. Figures 3-5 show the formation of an illustrative exemplary embodiment of a vehicle component, and a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the particular size, shape, and configuration of the vehicle component may vary according to other modalities ej emplificantes. Figure 3 shows a mold 200 having a stationary portion 202 and a movable portion 204. The mold 200 also includes a slide 206 and a lifter mechanism 220, the function of which will be described below. As shown in Figure 3, a piece of material 210 (i.e., a cover sheet material such as cloth, cloth, leather, a polymeric material, etc.) is provided within a chamber 208 of the mold 200. The material 210 may be relatively flexible such that the material 210 may be shaped into a desired shape in the mold (eg, to take the form of a panel such as a door panel for a vehicle).
Figures 4-5 illustrate the action of the mold 200 during a forming operation according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, the movable portion 204 of the mold moves towards the stationary portion 202 and the lifting mechanism 220 of the mold 200 during the closing of the mold 200 around the material 210. As the movable portion 204 moves toward the portion 202 and the lifter mechanism 220, an end portion 212 of the material 210 engages a portion of the slide 206 in such a manner that a portion of the material 210 begins to bend or flex. The bending of the end portion 212 can finally be used to form an extension in the form of a flange or projection for the component being manufactured, as will be described below. As the movable portion 204 of the mold 200 continues to move toward the stationary portion 202 of the mold 200, the size of a cavity or space 214 between the material 210 and the stationary portion 202 is reduced, while a portion 212 of the material 210 follows bending or flexing. During the closure of the mold 200, the slide 206 moves to assist the s or flex. Therefore, as shown in Figures 6C and 6D, the slide 206 moves from left to right as illustrated, which aids in the bending or bending of the material 210 during the forming operation. Figure 5 illustrates the final position of the mold 200 according to an exemplary embodiment. The end portion 212 of the material 210 bends or flexes inward to form a portion of an extension or flange. The slide 206 moves to the right such that the slide 206 couples the stationary portion 202 of the mold 200. After the closure of the mold 200 as illustrated in FIG. 5, a polymeric material such as polypropylene or thermoplastic olefin can be injected within the mold 200 such that they fill the cavity or space 214 between the material 210 and the stationary portion 202 and the lifter mechanism 220 to form a substrate to which the material 210 is attached (such as, for example, the substrate 102). shown in Figure 2). The material 210 can form a physical and / or chemical bond with the polymeric material injected such that the material and the substrate adhere together relatively securely. Therefore, the extension in the form of a flange or protrusion is formed on the surfaces of the lifter mechanism. After the formation of the substrate in the injection molding operation, the lifting mechanism is retracted from the component at an angle of approximately 5 degrees, while the other components of the ejection system are retracted at an angle of zero degrees (i.e. , perpendicular to the tool). The lifter mechanism is pulled from the molded extension due to the 5 degree angle. According to another exemplary embodiment, the lifting mechanism can be pulled from the molded extension at a different angle (eg greater or less than about 5 degrees). The result of this injection molding process is the formation of a component such as a panel (e.g., a door panel) that includes an extension in the form of a flange or protrusion such as that shown in Figures 2 and 2a. The excess or deburred material may remain after the formation of the extension 110. All such excess material may be removed after the injection molding process, for example, by cutting or roughing the excess material from the area of the extension. An advantageous feature of producing a vehicle component using a method such as that shown in FIGS. 3-5 is that it is relatively simple and efficient to form an extension in the shape of a flange or protrusion using a single piece of manufacturing equipment (eg. example, injection molding equipment configured as described above). The requirement of secondary bending operations (ie, to bend the substrate to produce the extension) is eliminated using such an operation. In addition, the method described with respect to Figures 3-5 allows the manufacture of vehicle components having a cover roll material (eg, cloth, leather, a polymeric material, etc.) provided over an extension such as a flange. such that the substrate portion of the extension is not visible to passengers in a vehicle or through a window adjacent to the extension. While Figures 1-5 show a vehicle component formed in a molding operation in which an extension in the form of a flange or projection is formed in an injection molding operation in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, FIGS. -7 illustrate the formation of an extension in the shape of a flange or projection according to another exemplary embodiment. FIGURES 6-7 generally refer to the formation of an extension using a secondary bending process subsequent to the formation of the vehicle component. The component formed can include a cover roll material provided on the extension before or after the secondary bending process is completed. As shown in Figures 6-7, a vehicle component 300 in the form of a door panel is intended to be provided in a bending device or mechanism. While only one substrate 302 of the component is shown in Figures 6-8, the component 300 may also include a deck profile material such as that described above, on the front surface or "A" thereof. The substrate 302 can be manufactured from any of the substrate materials described above. According to an exemplary embodiment, the substrate 302 is made of polypropylene or other thermoplastic olefin material. According to other exemplary embodiments, the substrate can be made of an ABS or PC / ABS polymer. The component 300 includes a portion 304 extending away from the body 306 of the component 300 and which is separated from the body 306 by a boundary 308 such as an indentation or channel molded into the component 300. The boundary 308 is made to provide a location around which the portion 304 may rotate during the formation of an extension in the form of a flange or projection. The component 300 is formed in an injection molding process according to an exemplary embodiment. The mold used for the injection molding process includes a feature forming a boundary 308. Although the boundary 308 is shown as a continuous channel formed along the edge of the portion 304, it can be used in a variety of other configurations for to the border 308. For example, a discontinuous channel may be formed along the edge of the portion 304, between the portion 304 and the body 306. Several different configurations may be used to form a boundary between a portion of the component and the body of the component. For example, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a combination of flutes and channels for the border may be used. According to an exemplary embodiment, a heating device (not shown) is configured to direct an infrared radiation towards the component 300 to heat the boundary 308. According to an exemplary embodiment, the heating device is an available Infrastake device. Extol, Inc. of Zeeland, Michigan. According to other exemplary embodiments, other types of heating devices may be used to heat the material adjacent to the boundary (e.g., a heating rod or device may be provided adjacent the boundary 308 to heat the material in the region of the border 308, to allow bending / bending of the component around the boundary, such heating rods can act to heat the component using convection or radiation due to the proximity of the rods to the component). According to other exemplary modalities, the border can be heated using other types of radiation (for example, microwave radiation). Heating the material in the region of the border 308 changes the stiffness of the material and allows relatively easy bending or bending of the portion 304 to form an extension in the form of a flange or protrusion. For example, at least a portion of the material in the border region can be melted to allow relatively easy flexing of the material around the boundary. The temperature used may depend on a variety of factors, such as the type of polymer used. Such a temperature would be selected such that the material is hot to a sufficient degree to allow relatively easy flexibility of the portion around the boundary. During the operation of the heating device, the material of the border 308 and the regions adjacent to the border 308 are heated. According to an exemplary embodiment, the distance between the lamp of the heating device and the surface of the component is approximately 11. millimeters (mm) and the component is heated for a period of between about 10 and 20 seconds, followed by a retention time of about 20 seconds (i.e., portion 304 is rotated around boundary 308 and held in position desired for approximately 20 seconds after removal of the heating device) such that the portion 304 remains in the rotated position. By directing the infrared radiation to the border (which is provided in the form of an indentation or channel such that the material is thinner at the border than in the surrounding material), the effects of heating on the substrate are localized such that only the immediate area is affected. Figure 7 shows the portion 304 that has been bent towards the body 306 of the component 300 after the removal of the heating device. Heating the region around the boundary 308 allows the bending to proceed without damaging the component 300 in a manner that limits bending of the component 300 with the boundary 308. FIGS. 6-7 show the portion 304 in the form of an extension that is shape such that there is a relatively smooth transition between the body 306 of the component 300 and the portion 304 (for example, there is substantially no discontinuity at the point 320 where the edge of the portion 304 joins the body 306). According to another exemplary embodiment, a portion of each end of the portion 304 can be removed such that there is a transition region between the body 306 and the portion 304 (for example, there is a discontinuity between the portion 304 and 304). the body 306 such that the portion 304 does not extend the full width of the body 306 to the connection point between the portion 304 and the body 306). For example, portion 304 may be molded such that its edges are approximately 1.27 centimeters (0.5 inches) inward from body 306. According to another exemplary embodiment, approximately 1.27 centimeters (0.5 inches) from each of the edges of portion 304 are removed after molding. According to another exemplary embodiment, the distance may vary (for example, it may be greater or less than 1.27 centimeters). An advantageous feature of providing a discontinuity with the portion 304 is that a more uniform heating of the component can be obtained to locate the effects of heating to a greater degree than with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6-7. It should be emphasized that any modality can be used depending on the particular application involved and other considerations (for example, tolerances on the parts, materials used, etc.). An advantageous feature of using a post-molding process such as that described with respect to FIGS. 6-7 is that there is no need to use an injection molding machine having several required components as described above with respect to the figures 1-5. For example, a slide is not required, such as the slide 206 to bend a portion of the component before injecting the material to form the substrate. Another advantageous feature of using a heating device that directs infrared radiation to a localized region of the component is that heating occurs at a rate such that manufacturing processes can be carried out relatively quickly and efficiently. Additionally, damage to the surrounding regions can be minimized which may occur in another post-molding flange formation. Stretch marks, flanges or other features can also be added to, or molded into, the component before the heating operation to further locate the bending location for the component. As will be appreciated by someone skilled in the art from the above description, the present application relates to a number of ways to form a component for a vehicle such as a panel (eg, a door panel) that includes an extension in shape of a flange or protrusion
(for example, a flange back down). A non-exclusive exemplary embodiment includes providing a cover roll material (eg, leather, cloth, cloth, polymeric material, etc.) in a mold (eg, an injection mold) and closing the mold in such a way that a portion of the roof profiled material is bent or flexed to form an outer portion of the extension. The mold includes a stationary portion or surface, a moving portion or surface, and a slide. The movable portion of the mold moves towards the stationary portion while the slider moves in a direction transverse to that of the movement of the movable portion of the mold, such that a portion of the shaping cover material is engaged and directed to bend it in the direction of the movement of the slide. After the mold is closed to its final position, a polymeric material is injected into the mold, adjacent the profiled roofing material (eg, in the cavity or space between the roof profiled material and the stationary portion of the mold) to form a substrate for the component. In this way, a flange or projection molded into the component having a profiled cover material applied to the flange or projection is formed. According to another non-exclusive exemplary embodiment, a post-molding operation is used in which a substrate (either individually or having a roof profiled material adhered to or attached thereto) is subjected to localized heating (e.g., using a device for heating infrared radiation). The substrate (and any attached roofing material) is bent around the heated region due to melting of the substrate material in this region. To assist in the bending process, the region to be heated may include a molded or post molded feature such as a border in the form of an indentation or channel. In this way, the physical dimensions of the region to be heated by the heating device are different from those of the surrounding material (eg, it is thinner due to the formation of the channel in the border region) such that heating is It can be achieved more quickly and I can achieve it in a way that does not substantially affect the regions of the component far from the border. After the substrate portion is heated, a portion of the substrate is bent or flexed to form an extension such as a flange or protrusion. Such a bent can use automated equipment that moves or forces a portion of the substrate to rotate around the heated region or can be performed manually. The construction and arrangement of the elements of the vehicle component as shown in the preferred embodiments and other exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail in this description, those skilled in the art examining this description will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes, and shapes). proportions of the various elements, the values of the parameters, the arrangements of the assembly, the use of the materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without departing materially from the new teachings and the advantages of the object-matter mentioned here. For example, elements shown as integrally formed can be constructed of various parts or elements, the position of the elements can be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions can be altered or varied. (For example, more than one flange can be created in a single component (for example, a door panel can include several edges formed by the methods described here.) It should be noted that the elements and / or assemblies of the system can be constructed from a wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength or durability, including any of a wide variety of moldable plastic materials (such as high impact plastic) in any of a wide variety of colors, textures and combinations. Components such as those shown herein can also be used in non-automotive applications, including but not limited to furniture such as chairs, desks, benches, and other furniture items. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present inventions.